One group of people is sailing up a roller coaster ride of emotional rises, falls twists and turns driven by daily news flashes and bits of the latest gab from around the globe. The other group spends the time to get the history or the background of a matter and through some open minded consideration and comparison, often arrive at a more balanced and honest view of any particular issue.

The most cursory examination of Pat Robertson’s remarks about the inspiration of the Islamic religion would lead to the fact that Mr. Robertson was far from the first person to entertain this possibility. Far more shocking is the fact that the first person in history to think that the visions of Muhammad were satanically inspired was the Prophet Muhammad himself.

Muhammad, born in Mecca in 570 lived through a turbulent childhood being passed back and forth from his mother to his nurse Halima. On one of the occasions when Halima returned Muhammad to his mother, she voiced her fears about fits and other behavior that made her think that he may have been demon possessed. She finally returned the care of Muhammad to his mother when he reached the age of five. But the thoughts she and others had about his possible connection to evil spirits did not end there.

Muhammad was disturbed by the moral decadence around the hub of Mecca and began pondering what might bring the Muslims to recognition of a greater power and a return to a more moral life. That compunction drove him to the caves around Mecca where he began to meditate and search for a connection to that higher power or God.

He had many dreams, visions and revelations as a result of his search, however, those visions troubled him so much that he was driven to the brink of suicide. Muhammad was the first one to doubt that his revelations had anything to do with God at all. He thought his visions were a product of the “Jinn” or satanic spirits.

We can thank his wife for talking him out of that doubt. She told him that the visions were truly inspired by divinity and should be made known to the world. There is little doubt also that Muslims would give credit to a woman for starting Islam, considering the status women hold in that religion, but by all accounts she should be credited with it. He was inclined to take no credit for it at all.

A basic fact almost always overlooked by Islam or any other religion in the world is that “not everything that is supernatural is Divine.” Can Satan give people visions and revelations? Let’s just say you can bet your life on it. And that is what you would have to bet but what price is the losing?

As for Pat Robertson’s remarks about Islam not being a peaceful religion it is certain that he is far from the first to come to that conclusion as well. Rev Franklin Graham the son of evangelist Billy Graham was one of the first voices to go on record after the events of 9/11 in New York City. If the adage that “deeds speak louder than words” is true then the radical Muslims who perpetrated the infamous deed were the first to go on record saying Islam is not a peaceful religion. Subsequent acts of terror spawned by radical Islam all over the world have kept that message alive and well ever since.

Over 600 homes and many churches in the town of Tentena a province of Central Sulawesi were burned down or destroyed by jihad driven Islam. The group called “Laskar Jihad” in that region is said to be bent on the destruction of all Christianity since November of 2001. Over 15,000 Christians have fled the area since then. In Indonesia alone over 9000 Christians have been killed or uprooted since 1999. That’s a heck of a record for a so called “peaceful religion” Is anybody listening?

How can the most educated generation in the history of the world not notice that the Islamic jihad is part of the message of the Quran itself? It is the doctrine of Islam and is central to all Islamic view and behavior. If the constitution of the United States had as one of its tenants the destruction of every other political system in the world wouldn’t somebody notice that? If the Bible had a New Testament call for the death of anyone who wouldn’t believe it, would any one take note of that? Yet we are asked to ignore the very essence of the writings of the Quran in favor of a promise that after all “Islam is a peaceful religion.” There is a word for this juvenile notion and in keeping with its juvenile premise lets just say that word is “baloney”

Muhammad went into a cave and since he came out people have been dying all over the world but never so much as lately. Jesus went into a cave as a dead man and came out alive and with a message and a promise of life to anyone who would believe. Wow, what a blatant contrast. But will that change anyone’s mind on a large scale? No, it will not, but on a one to one basis it has been changing minds and hearts for centuries and it will continue to do so till the end of time. But don’t be discouraged even Jesus knew that the world would turn their backs on his greatest accomplishment and said …”If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31

Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books. One book entitled An American Prophet and His Message or Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ is published by Xulon Press. He also has hundreds of articles on religion, politics, advice and current events published both online and in print. Visit www.americanprophet.org